Kitchen stabbing chef to face prison

A chef who admitted a serious knife attack on a colleague in the kitchen of Franco’s Italian Restaurant in Wigan is to be sentenced on 24 June.

Giuseppe Maragioglio had been due to face trial last week on a charge of causing grievous bodily harm with intent but this was dropped after he pleaded guilty to the lesser offence of inflicting grievous bodily harm, according to Wigan Today.

During a hearing at Liverpool Crown Court, Judge David Aubrey, QC warned 53-year-old Maragioglio that he faces a prison sentence and the only issue to be decided was the length of that term.

Story continues below

Advertisement

The incident took place on 27 September last year and left head chef Carlos Neto injured. He was rushed to North Manchester General Hospital suffering from five stab wounds to the left side of his stomach, left arm and to his head and he needed surgery for his injuries which included a punctured lung.

Maragioglio claimed that he had acted in self-defence. The hearing was told that when Maragioglio was arrested he told police: “I lost it.”

Witness Pedro Gonzalez said: “I heard something. I think it was an argument. I was not sure. They seemed to be talking normally. I had I had my back to them. Then Carlos screamed and I turned round to see a fistfight. Carlos was in the defence position; he was crouching and bit bent over. I thought Giuseppe was punching him then I noticed it was knife in his hand I ran out of the kitchen to get help.”

Maragoglio said that they argued about chopping tomatoes and he told Neto “don’t treat me like a kid; I’m not your son.” He claimed that Neto came forward and punched him on his left shoulder. He feared he was going to be punched in the mouth and his teeth broken and so he stabbed him.

Judge Aubrey rejected his account and ruled that while there may have been some pushing during the argument, Maragioglio lost his temper and picked a knife up.